"As early as next year, the new BMW 5 series will also be available as a full hybrid. And we are anticipating the hybridization of further models series, such as the 3 Series," CEO Norbert Reithofer said in front of BMW shareholders at the annual meeting in Munich.
BMW needs to lower its carbon footprint in the coming years as the European Union will impose in 2020 an overall level of around 95 grams of CO2 for new cars sold on the continent.
"We want to reduce our global fleet's carbon emissions by at least another 25 percent between 2008 and 2020," Reithofer said. At the end of 2009, BMW's fleet emissions in Europe averaged 150 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer, down from 156g at the end of 2008.
Reithofer also said that government incentives for hybrids will represent a key demand booster, particularly in Japan. "Sales of hybrid vehicles in Japan have skyrocketed. If you don't have a hybrid in your portfolio, soon you might not be selling any cars in Japan at all," BMW’s CEO said.
For short distances and at slow speeds, the BMW 5 Series ActiveHybrid can drive exclusively on electric power, just like the Toyota Prius. The car features a kinetic energy recovery system that uses energy produced while braking to power the electric motor.
Shown at the Geneva auto show in March, the 5 Series based hybrid will be the second full-hybrid in BMW’s lineup, after the X6 ActiveHybrid. The BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid is not a full-hybrid, meaning it cannot run on electric propulsion alone.
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